Her Vivid Influence
by Scarlet-Passion
Summary: Draco Malfoy never thought he would ever become involved with muggles. Of course, when you have the most accepting woman of all time as your wife, it might be a little hard to avoid such foreign culture.


_Forgive me for any grammatical mistakes. When I saw how big this fic was, I got lazy and decided to upload it like this (plus, it's two in the morning). Please review! _

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><p>Astoria Greengrass and Draco Malfoy have been married for many years. The summer after Astoria left Hogwarts, the two married. They had a good, stable relationship that knew intense passion due to the danger the war brought to both of them.<p>

She influenced Draco greatly. Even though she is of pureblood, Slytherin stock, she is probably the least prejudiced person Draco ever met in his life. She had muggle-born friends, half-blood, _and _pureblood friends that were all unprejudiced as well.

Draco foundnd out about five years after their marriage that Astoria also has muggle friends. She is interested in muggle topics as much as Wizarding topics. It bewildered him intensely, but from personal experience, he knew not to be ignorant when it came to his wife's opinions.

In the length of their marriage, he has seen her reading the _Harry Potter _series by that squib named J.K. something or other. It is apparently a HUGE phenomenon in the muggle world. When Draco found this out, his faith in the muggle race actually strengthened a little; if they enjoyed such a story as Potter's biography, then they can't be too bad.

Then she started reading those bloody vampire books. By the time she had finished the first book, she was constantly talking about this Edward Cullen character who was "absolutely gorgeous, to the point of infinity! You know what you could do, Draco? You could dye your hair a copper color. I personally think it would make you have a more mysterious air."

He just looked at her and then looked away, continuing to listen to her rant about this vampire who apparently sparkles in the sun (he couldn't hold back a snort when he heard that one). Draco personally thought the vampire was overdramatic in more way than one. Then she ranted the girl the vampire is in love with who is "completely insane and so needy, it's ridiculous." By then, he just tuned her out.

Eventually, after she had brought to the muggle buildings with a million seat and had watched all the—what are they called—_movies _(Draco had to shake his head at the muggle invention; that was the best they could do for moving pictures?), she decided that the vampire books "are terrible! We could just cast _incendio _on them and they'd die instantly." And that was the end of that (to Draco's huge relief).

About eight years before their son's first year at Hogwarts, Astoria purchased this immense, square black thing that showed moving pictures that don't talk to you. A muggle man came in and installed it into their house and then approached Draco with paperwork for something called cable.

Astoria had been out at the time, personally meeting the squib that wrote Potter's biography. Draco just signed his signature, not even bothering to understand the rubbish on the page.

When he asked his wife what the giant, hulking thing was for, she answered, "It's a television, Draco. Honestly, you need to educate yourself on muggle culture."

Draco rolled his eyes, "Why do you have it?"

"Because there is a new program from America I wish to watch and unfortunately, magic doesn't allow me to catch muggle signals," she replies.

"What program?" Draco asked, honestly curious.

"It's called _Glee_," she answered, "But you wouldn't like it, sweetheart."

That was the end of that conversation (it struck him later that he had no idea how they were paying for the giant thing with Wizarding money, but when he asked, Astoria said it was covered).

Next thing he knew, once a week, he would be hearing a chorus of voices reverberating from the living room. Their three-year-old son started watching the program with his mother soon enough and Draco grew a little concerned exposing his son to muggle culture, but then he reminded himself the agreement he made with his wife to not raise their children in a home of bigotry. He had made the agreement with his full heart.

So he let his son watch the muggle program with Astoria. He let them sing the songs of the American musical culture (he did like that country, after all) and even watched one or two episodes himself. Of course, both times, he started talking to the screen, expecting the characters to talk back; when they didn't, he looked away blushing as Astoria and Scorpius laughed at him (he ended up smiling himself).

He wouldn't admit it, but he did have one character he respected: the girly kid, Kurt Hummel. He liked that the kid presented himself without shame and treated others the way he wanted to treat them (or maybe he liked him because he reminded him of his wife; whatever it was, he liked Kurt).

Then, Astoria bought _another _muggle contraption. It was much smaller and had buttons with shapes on them. It played flat, disk-like objects with frozen pictures attached to them. Astoria would put them in and less than a moment later, sound came out of two other muggle objects Astoria bought; they were black and had black screens where the sound came out.

The disks were called CDs.

Astoria began to buy _Glee _CDs for Scorpius as rewards whenever he accomplished something new. Soon enough, the entire house was filled with the music from this muggle program. One would think Draco would be irritated, but he didn't actually mind it.

Then, in May 2011, Astoria and Scorpius were watching what was supposed to be an important episode. Draco was in his office, working on some reports that were due in the morning, when he heard his wife shout "WHAT?"

Draco snapped his head up and bolted out of his chair. He ran to the living, his wand at the ready, "What's wrong?"

Astoria was on her feet, staring at the screen in disbelief. "They lost. They lost!" she exclaims, "What the hell?"

Scorpius and Draco stared at Astoria. Draco put his wand back in his vest.

"This is ridiculous. This is freaking ridiculous. Can you believe this?" she asked her son. Scorpius opened his mouth, but his mother cut him off, "I can't _believe _this. What the FUCK?"

"Astoria!" Draco raised his voice, "Not in front of our son."

"Oh," Astoria replied, calming. She looked at her son who was just confused by his mother's outburst. She was usually very calm, "Sorry sweetheart. It's just… THEY LOST!"

Draco slapped his face as he wondered if muggles reacted this strongly to fictional moving pictures.

A few weeks later, Astoria came home with the latest _Glee _CD. She started playing it right away. The first few songs were alright. Then one came on that echoed all the way to Draco's office. He unconsciously started bobbing his head to the beat, when his wife slam-opened the door. It made him jump, but when he looked up, she was smiling. She crossed the floor, Scorpius prancing behind her. She reached out her hand while dancing in place to the beat of the song, "Dance with me, my love."

He looked down at his work. It was yet another plea agreement (he had taken on the career as a lawyer some years ago). He should've really continued his work, but the song was very appealing. One more look at the agreement, and he gripped Astoria's hand tightly. She beamed brightly and pulled him out of the room and to the living room. Scorpius ran after them, laughing.

Astoria pulled him to the far end of the room, opposite the sound system. He asked her, "What is the title of this song?"

"Light Up the World," she replies, smiling, "It's great isn't it?"

He smiled back and then looked at his son, "Scorpius, restart the song."

Scorpius smiled up at his father before running over and restarting the son (the fact that he knew how to work the muggle contraption didn't bother Draco in the least).

Draco waited for a second as the instruments began. Then a female's voice started:

_Hey-hey-hey you and me keep on dancing in the dark,  
>It's been tearing me apart, never knowing what we are.<em>

Draco started tapping his foot and his wife laughed. He smiled back as his head bobbed all over again.

_Hey-hey-hey you and me keep on tryin to play it cool,  
>Now it's time to make a move and that's what I'm gonna do.<em>

"Lay it all down," Astoria sang with the song as she started dancing again. Draco followed suit, albeit a little slower.

_Got something to say._

"Lay it all down."

_Throw your doubt away._

"Do or die now."

_Step onto the plate._

Draco, at this point, was dancing more than he had at the Yule Ball. Astoria leaned into his ear and said, "Blow the door wide open like up, up, and away!"

_Let's light up the world tonight  
>You gotta give up the bark and bite<br>I know that we got the love alright  
>Come on and li-li-light it up, light it up tonight<em>

When he had lived with his family as a child, their idea of fun was dinner parties with the Wizarding nobility. They were all stiff and proud and before Draco was taught the inane beliefs he was raised with, he thought they were all very boring.

_Hey-hey-hey you and me turn it up ten thousand watts.  
>Tell me why we've gotta stop, I just want to let it rock.<em>

He looked at his son, dancing as happily as those children on _Glee_. By the time Draco was his age, he wasn't allowed to show happiness; only restraint.

_Hey-hey-hey you and me_

_keep on staring at the road,  
>Like we don't know where to go, step back, let me take control.<em>

There was no dancing at those dinner parties. There was no music in his house. There were no open emotions. There was no acceptance outside of the unstable pureblood social circle.

_Lay it all down_

_Got something to say_

_Lay it all down_

_Throw your doubt away_

_Do or die now_

_Step onto the plate_

"Blow the door wide open like up, up, and away" Draco whispers.

_Let's light up the world tonight  
>You gotta give up the bark and bite<em>

He knows there was love. Rarely, but there was. He kneww his mother loved him; with his father, he didn't really know until he took Draco into a tight embrace after the fall of Voldemort. But they never showed it openly and vividly like Astoria taught Draco to.

_I know that we got the love alright  
>Come on and li-li-light it up, light it up tonight<em>

His body was moving to the dance, but his mind was focused on his son and the happinnes he emitted as bright as the sun. Scorpius danced around his parents, his three-year-old body moving fluidly to the beat of the song; it impressed Draco. Maybe his son had a future in dance (it surprised Draco how little that idea bothered him). Maybe his son would have a chance to do something he actually wanted.

That was something Draco never had the chance to do.

_Hey hey hey you.  
>Hey hey hey you.<em>

He looked from his son to his wife. She was holding Draco's hand and smiling at him. Her eyes were brilliantly blue under her dark, bouncing curls. She was also happy.

_Hey hey hey you.  
>Hey hey hey you.<em>

He let go of her hand and he felt himself stop dancing. She stopped as well as her smiled faded. Why did he stop dancing?

_Lay it all down,_

_Got something to say._

He brought his hands up to her head and laced them in her hair. He leaned and pressed his lips against hers.

_Lay it all down,_

_Throw your doubt away._

He pressed harder, _deeper _as he remembered their years in Hogwarts. He remembered the desperation and the fear and how she stood through it all, stopping him from falling the wrong way. He remembered it all and complete and utter love flooded his chest. He breathed in her shampoo and could only kiss deeper.

_Do or die now,_

_Step onto the plate._

She kissed back, yet he felt her pulling away at the same time. She clung to him and he realized she was falling backwards from the force of his kiss. He brought his hand down to her waste, stopping her from falling.

And she brought her hands to his head and kissed back with such vigor, that it shocked him how alive she really is.

She is a vivid dream that he hopes he never wakes up from.

_Blow the door wide open like up, up, and away._

He pulled away and they stared at each other in shock for a moment. Then she smiled at him and he knew everything was alright.

"Ew!"

They look down at Scorpius, who made the sound. "Albert,"—Blaise Zabini's son—"said that kisses are gross. So… that's gross!" Scorpius explains.

_Let's light up the world tonight  
>You gotta give up the bark and bite<br>I know that we got the love alright  
>Come on and li-li-light it up, light it up tonight<em>

Astoria rolled her eyes and Draco smiled down at his son. He rustled Scorpius' hair as he replied, "Little tike."

Scorpius smiled back up at his father. His son's smile shoved a burst of affection out of Draco as he picked up his son and spun him around in the air once, making the young boy laugh.

_Let's light up the world tonight  
>You gotta give up the bark and bite<br>_

Draco smiled brightly and for the first since the end of the war, he felt light. He felt fine, without any nagging guilt or memory from the past plaguing him.

And it's all because of his family.

_I know that we got the love alright  
>Come on and li-li-light it up, light it up tonight<em>

The moment the song finished, they heard someone shout, "What is this?"

All three of them looked to see Narcissa standing at the entrance of the room. "Oh. Hello Mother," Draco greets, confused by her appearance, "What are you—?"

"You're here for dinner!" Astoria exclaimed.

Draco and Scorpius looked at Astoria before remembering.

"Yes," Narcissa replied.

"Um… your room is ready. It's down the hall," Astoria said.

Narcissa looked at the family before shaking her head and walking down.

Astoria walked toward the spot where Narcissa had been less than a moment ago, "I'll be with you in a moment."

Narcissa didn't say anything.

Astoria looked at her husband and son. They shared one look before bursting out laughing (well, Draco and Astoria laugh; Scorpius just goes with the flow). Draco and his son walked over to his wife. Draco and Astoria are still quietly snickering when they finally follow Narcissa, leaving behind the happiest memory Draco ever had.

And it was all because of some muggle television program on some ruddy muggle technology. No one would believe that Draco Malfoy finally appreciates muggles.

But he doesn't give a flying fuck what they think because _he _knows it's true.

After all, the muggles brought him pure happiness (along with his wife and son).

If they can do that, then maybe there is no reason to hate them. It took Draco thirty years to realize that.

But better late than never.


End file.
